Tennesse Whiskey
by MarieJohnson123
Summary: Alex Romero finds himself caught up in something he's never felt before when he meets a beautiful bartender.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

" _You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey / You're as sweet as strawberry wine / You're as warm as a glass of brandy / And honey I stay strong on your love all the time"_

"Dammit. I thought they might have been closed."

Alex Romero sighed as he glared at the times listed on a glass window in front of him. His partner shot him a cold look, her eyes stabbing into his cheek as he pretended to stare at something on the ground. Her piercingly cruel gazes gave way to his many failures. All the guys at work had warned him about her. "Don't hook up with the ice princess". He was just too weak to say no. Rebecca Hamilton was a fierce human being after all.

"I thought they might have been closed," she mocked, her voice going an octave deeper in attempt to imitate, "Fuck, Alex. We've been planning this for a week now. I had the menu memorized and I already knew what I was going to order!".

He hated her when she was like this. Sometimes the questions regarding why he was with her surfaced when she started to complain and bitch. He had a gross habit of reflecting on the things she would scold him about later in the night while knocking back copious amounts of scotch. Was she even worth it? He could've ended it right then and there and everything would still be the same in his life. This wasn't love. This wasn't the way a man his age should be treated. But for now, his hankering for a cold one was hefty and he needed something to numb him so he wouldn't have to keep processing all of her nonsense.

"Look Becs, there's a really good bar down the street. Heard they uh- revamped the whole thing so it's a bit nicer. I think they have pretty good food and drinks. If you wanna go, I'll take you there instead," he offered lightly. It was their chew and screw night. He would pretend to be happy during dinner with her, she would pretend to be satisfied in bed with him. The perfect trade off. If he could still find a way to take her out, maybe there was a chance that he could still get laid. It'd been a while.

She rolled her eyes, "I guess. I'm not happy about the prospect of going to a bar on our one and only date night but...let's just salvage what we have here," her voice was saturated in an annoyed energy that made Alex want to pound his head against a brick wall.

Yeah, a drink would absolutely do him some good.

X

When they entered the bar, it was all a cliche. The lights were blinding, the music was completely too loud, and there were boatloads of 20-30 year old players with alcohol in their hands trying to score only the prettiest girls on the floor. It wasn't a club though. Alex could thank his lucky stars for that. Him, a simple small town police officer sitting in a club. That just wasn't a good look. His thoughts were cut short when he felt his partner's boney finger protrude his side.

"This isn't at all what I had in mind, Alexander."

Alexander. The use of his full name was something that she turned to in order to belittle him. He turned to her, looking for a little bit of sympathy even though he could never get even a sliver out of her.

"Hey, it's the best we have," he started, lifting his wrist to check his watch, "Especially at this hour of the night. I promise next week, we'll do something much better."

Alex didn't bother continuing the fight that she was about to tear into. It was just a rehashing of the nights events. She'd probably find 12+ things to complain about in the car so he figured it'd be best to settle for an hour of peace and booze before the barrel of bullshit got dumped on him. He walked to the bar and took an empty stool, she begrudgingly sat next to him and grabbed a menu.

"Ew...these are way too sticky," she mumbled, putting it down to observe the items. Nothing worse than ruining a $50 manicure on some bad liquor residue.

Normally, he would've offered to just choose something for them so he didn't have to hear her mouth. But this...this was a different kind of night. He knew when he looked at her. The bold faced beauty behind the bar that was probably grabbing everyone's attention. Or maybe it was just him. When you find a diamond in the rough, sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you're the only one who sees it. She was so...perfect. If perfection could ever be set in stone. Blonde waves, blue eyes, and the body of a goddess. He had to look away in order to avoid coming off as a creepy but...Jesus he'd never seen anything like it.

"Hi, what can I get for you guys tonight?"

Her voice was soft yet demanding. She was angelic. Especially the way the light was hitting her when she approached him. He could feel the rays of jealousy shooting off of the frigid woman beside him. Even Rebecca couldn't deny that this woman was beautiful. And he knew it drove her nuts. He knew that she could see what he was looking at.

"I'll have a margarita. Peach flavored. Skinny. Absolutely _no_ triple sec. And no salt or sugar around the rim. I would like extra lime please. But don't put it on the side of the glass. A ramekin will do just fine," she said, her head falling into the pit of her hand. She was pleased with herself.

Alex always got annoyed when he brought her out for this reason...a server's nightmare. Too many modifications and requests to tend to. He always left 30% just to make up for her bitchy behavior.

The bartender's eyes shot to everyone else at the bar. Almost trying to signal that she had multiple other patrons to tend to. This bitch wasn't the only one. She really wanted to make a comment. But she needed the job. She needed this money. So, her head fell into a tight nod as she looked to her companion. She knew what to do to get back at this lady, but in a subtle way.

"And what can I get for you?" she asked, leaning over the bar to give the man a clear shot of her cleavage, her grin was more flirtatious than anything. Her and the other servers always used this tactic. If the lady was a problem, bring out the big guns and charm the husband. It worked every time. Plus, she got more of a tip.

He didn't look down. He knew that it would kill her image of him right off the bat. When he saw her grin, he couldn't help it. He made a mental note to put one of the dinner napkins over his lap when she turned to get the drink. He didn't care if Rebecca noticed, he just didn't want her to bring attention to his erection in front of this beauty plus everyone else at the bar.

"Uh- I'll just have a scotch. Neat."

Rebecca was clenching her fist under the bartop. This girl was trying to draw him in. She was pretty. But her slutty scale was high up on the charts. This was just lovely. A bar skank trying to pick up her boyfriend. She was doing a damn fine job because Alex sure as hell seemed flustered.

"Mmm...good choice!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, "We have a really wide selection."

The bartender turned to grab two bottles from the wall, the most pricey bottles of scotch in house. But she wasn't going to skimp. She knew upselling was part of the job. And the higher the bill, the higher the tip. With the amount of irritating energy this poor guy likely had to deal with, he'd probably be welcome to the idea of a couple of drinks.

"Here we have The Balvenie Doublewood and The Glenlivet. Balvenie is about 12 years aged and Glenlivet has 18 years. I would recommend Balvenie because it's smooth. Better on it's own too," she said, shaking the other bottle around in her hand to showcase.

"Little bit of a scotch know it all?" he laughed nodding at her choice, "Alright, give me the Balvenie."

She smiled pouring the drink in a nicer highball, "You could call me a bit of a scotch connoisseur. I have a wide selection at home. Nice to have it as a nightcap. With all these people to take care of, it's nice to wind down."

"I'd bet."

He took a swig of the glass she slid him and nodded. "Oh yeah. I like that."

"Excuse me," Rebecca announced rudely, her tone sharp, ready to chop someone to pieces, "Can I get my drink please? I'd like to enjoy it with my boyfriend."

"Sure thing, honey," she cooed in the most fake tone she could muster. She paced over to the margarita mix and started the process while still trying to maintain a conversation with her man. The night was far from over.

"Happy you like it. We just got it after the revamp. Our bar manager wanted to class up the joint a little bit with some of the nicer liquor," she explained, shaking the lime juice in a mixer and adding it to a barebones glass. No rim, how boring.

Alex nodded, taking another sip, "Well, tell him he made some good choices. This stuff is gold. I'm a simple guy when it comes to scotch, Dewars and Johnny Walker typically do the job for me...but I think I've jumped ship."

She giggled, slipping the woman beside him her drink. "Lemme know how you like your margarita, sweetheart. I tried to put as much peach in as possible without making it too sweet. Because you wanted no triple."

Rebecca simply shot her a dirty look and sipped from the glass, "Not the best I've ever had but it'll do for now I suppose."

Alex just shook his head lightly and eyed the bartender when Rebecca went to reach into her bag for her phone, "Sorry," he mouthed silently. The last thing he wanted was for his girlfriend to see the action.

She waved her hand, shaking it off. This wasn't the first rude woman she'd dealt with and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Her words did nothing to affect her. She knew the drink was good, this woman was simply a jealous asshole.

"Let me know if you two need anything else."

With that, she was off to the other side of the bar to take care of the people that had just sat. It was only a cycle.

X

Two hours and three glasses of scotch later, Alex asked for his bill. Rebecca had barely touched her drink. He had sent her out to start the car while he paid, not wanting to deal with her anymore and needing a couple minutes break.

"Alright!" the bartender said, dropping the bill in front of him, "Before you ask, I noticed your lady friend didn't enjoy her drink very much. Sorry about that. I just had my manager take it off. No use in paying for something that wasn't touched."

"Wow, thank you. I would've paid anyway. Sorry about the trouble," he said, shaking his head. The bill was still a hefty $50, he pulled a crisp $100 bill out of his wallet and placed it on the check. He looked at the server name on top of the tab.

"Norma?"

She turned from the dish sink where she'd turned to after leaving him with the check, "Yeah, that's me." Her face held a smile as she scrubbed at a couple of tall beer glasses.

Alex stood up from the barstool and put his coat on, heading to the door. "I'll be seeing you around then, Norma. That scotch was too good not to come back for."

When she walked to his empty stool and looked at the extravagant tip, her head popped up, "Wait, wait...I didn't give you your change."

"That's all for you."

With that, he was out the door. He left her with a smile and a whole $50 tip. She couldn't believe it. In her 10 years of bartending, Norma had never seen such a good tip from a party of two. She pocketed the rest and put the payment in the computer.

She could get used to seeing him around too.

 **Guess who's back, back again, Shady's back...tell a friend! Here's to the beginning of a good 2018. Not sure how many Bates readers are still out there but I'm sitting creatively over here :) - MJ**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

" _Jealous girl, jealous girl / What have you done? / I won't live in the jealous world with anyone / Can't you let your boyfriend be himself? / Oh jealous girl, sweet jealous girl_

"So are you gonna tell me what the fuck that was exactly?"

When her voice pierced through his ears, he wanted to throw her out of the car. However, he knew if he were to do anything drastic she would just make his life even more miserable so he just decided to play along. The night was almost over anyway.

"What are you referring to?" his voice was saturated in a sweet nature. Alex always utilized a gentle tone to avoid arguments with her. Sometimes it was a good tool to calm her down but tonight was different, she was just out to pick any fight.

"Please don't pretend like I'm some imbecile. I just don't understand how you could sit there and flirt with that little...bar skank the whole night! Did you not see me next to you, Alexander? Did you not think that your actions might actually hurt me?" she hollered, tossing her handbag on the floor of the car to cross her arms over her chest.

He would've argued right back with her but she was right. The bartender- Norma, was gorgeous. She also talked to him about his favorite pastime...scotch. No man would turn that away, especially if they were going through a rough patch with the one they were "committed" to. But it did make him think. If it was simple enough to show attention to other women when Rebecca was around, did he really want to be with her?

Silently, he figured if he got her worked up enough maybe she would just break it off with him. He knew life shouldn't be this way. Closed off with someone cold and stuffy and most of all, unloving. He was just too scared to dump her himself. Alex was never good with break ups. Never liked to see women cry and battle him to stay with them.

"First of all, I was not flirting with her, Rebecca. We had something in common. She talked to me about scotch and I answered. Was I just supposed to ignore her? Man...look at how jealous you are," he laughed, looking ahead at the road.

She scoffed as her energy turned more and more malicious. "Your going to sit there and call me jealous of some whore? Really?! You think I'm honestly envious of some bleach blonde bimbo who works the bar and presses her tits against the table for extra cash?"

He didn't respond, his shoulders just gave a little shrug that signified a yes. She pretty much hit it on the nose. Not that the bartender was a whore or a bimbo, but that she was jealous of someone who got more attention than her because their looks were far superior. He wasn't going to say that his companion didn't have good looks. When they first met, Alex thought she was the hottest thing he'd ever seen. Then the personality came along and he was immediately swayed. A pretty face alone never makes for a good partner. They need a personality and a good heart. At least that's what he believed.

"Well...you know something, Alexander? That's it. We are through here. And I don't want you blowing up my voicemail or banging down my door to get me back either. You showed how you really feel tonight," with that, she stopped talking and sank back into the car seat. "Take me home right now."

When he watched her get out of the car for the last time and walk up the cement stairs to her apartment, he felt relieved. Never again did he have to deal with the nagging, complaining, dramatics that she put out. It was time for something new.

X

A few days later, he found himself back on that same barstool. It was a night after a long shift and he was too tired to continue patrolling. He called his chief and told him he was going to end the day. Alex considered it a blessing that he was the favorite out of the deputies in his department. Once, his chief told him that in three years, he would consider him for sheriff. That made his whole week. He had so many things he would change, so many things he would set right in his seedy little town. He'd been working for the White Pine Bay Sheriff's Department for four years and he was ready for more responsibility.

Just as he looked up from the bar peanuts that were sat in front of him by a shy food runner, he saw her. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was. She was peeling off her coat and putting her purse away under the bar. Those tight blue jeans accentuated every part of her beautiful pear shaped behind impeccably. And the black low cut top was definitely doing her some favors. He cut his eyes back to the front to stop himself from staring.

Once she stepped behind the bar, she started pouring a beer from the tap for the older gentleman next to him. As Norma delivered it to him, their eyes met and she shot him a smile, giving him a motion that read she'd be over in a second to tend to him.

"Do you want to look at the menu for a while, sir? Or did you find anything you like?" she asked, in her same friendly tone.

"Well," he started in his slight southern accent, clearly he wasn't from around White Pine, "You ain't on the menu are you, sweetheart?"

She looked like she wanted to fight him. Honestly, had she had knocked him in the teeth, Alex would've cheered her on. He was holding back his anger as well. He wanted to say something so bad but he really didn't want to make a scene in front of Norma. He wanted to come off as a gentleman, not some scrapper.

"Um…" she took a deep breath and looked at the floor for a minute. Alex felt bad, she must've been harrassed so much in her line of work. "I'll give you a few minutes to look at the menu."

"Hey you!" she moved over a couple steps and leaned in front of Alex, her cleavage exuberant, but he wouldn't dare look down. He wasn't like the man next to him. His focus instead set on her beautifully red painted lips and her sexy tousled dirty blonde locks.

"Hey," he grinned, something he hadn't done in a while, "How've you been, Norma?"

"Oh you know, still here, so obviously I'm thriving," she joked with a small giggle. He watched as her nose crinkled and he felt himself want to ask her out there and then but that could wait.

"So how are you? Where's the gal?" she asked, referring to Rebecca. He looked down at his hands and shook his head at her.

"We didn't work out, actually. We ah- decided to go our separate ways."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that," she said, with a sympathetic look on her face, "Can I get you something to make that better?"

"How about a little bit of that scotch from last time I was here," he said, his voice low, his eyes focusing on only her. The smile never left his face either, this feeling was new. He liked it. He wished he could hold onto it forever.

"Yeah, I think I can do that."

When the drink was sitting in front of him, he felt a shard of disappointment. The bar was starting to fill up with people and Norma had at least 16 guests to tend to at once. She was handling it like a champ though. The man next to him tried to start conversation, which he really wasn't interested in. He could smell the beer coming off of his breath.

"Name's Keith, you know anywhere I could get a cheap motel around here," he asked, his eyes wavering around the room. He was clearly intoxicated. A heavy man but a lightweight.

"Uh- no, I would try the Kings motel. That's probably your best bet."

He immediately felt uncomfortable, he came for Norma. Not some drunken slob.

"Thanks buddy," he slurred, slapping the wood of the bar, trying to signal the bartender. "Hey sweetheart! Can I get another one. Make it a shortie."

Alex felt the blood boiling through every vein in his body. This man was a pig.

She nodded and poured the trash beer into a cup, walking it over to him. "Hey, um...this is the last one, okay? I need to cut you off after."

"Aw c'mon honey, don't be like that."

"I'm real sorry," she frowned, walking away from him and back towards Alex. "Sorry I got a little busy there. Do you need anything else? Would you like another?"

"Yeah, sure. No rush. Whenever you have a sec," he smiled.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as the large man chugged the 16 oz glass down. He could hear the alcohol sifting down his throat. It was repulsive.

Norma came back over with his scotch, her head resting in her hand as she leaned over to look closer at him, "You know something, I haven't even gotten your name yet."

"I'm Alex," he said, taking a small sip of his scotch.

Just as she was about to speak again, Keith spoke up and slid the empty glass over to her. "Hey darlin, how bout once you get off, you could help me get off," he slurred with a grin.

Alex stood from his stool immediately, "Alright, it's time to go."

The drunken mess just looked at Alex and scoffed, "Baby, that rack of yours has something fierce going on in my pants. I'd just love to lie you down and make you come over-"

And with that, Alex's strong hand was on his neck, he slammed his head onto the hardwood of the bar and the man fell to the floor with a fluster. "Not now. Not ever, you piece of shit. She's not interested. So how about you show some fucking respect," he growled, face to face with him.

Norma just stood back with her hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe that this was happening. This handsome man was trying to defend her. It was quite the turn on despite the disgusting man who was violating her with his words. She could see Alex's knuckles bleeding from the force of hitting the bar top. Her feet paced quickly across the cement floor to him, her nimble fingers on his back, "Why don't you come with me and we'll clean that up?" she offered.

He looked up from the mess and nodded towards her, "Just gimme one sec, okay?" his voice gentle despite the heated dispute. He grabbed the silver badge that was tucked into the pocket of his off day jeans and flashed it at Keith. "I suggest you get the fuck out of here now. Or else I'll call for backup. And if I ever see you in here harassing any of the staff, I won't hesitate."

Alex watched as the man stumbled to his feet and spit on the ground in front of him, throwing a hand at him. His drunken feet took him all the way out the door. He felt a sense of pride seeing that fat shit leave.

In the meantime, Norma came back with a woman dressed in normal, nice clothes. "Alex, this is my manager Colleen. She's gonna watch the bar while you and me patch that up. Come with me," she said, leading him through a kitchen filled with swearing cooks who couldn't wait to be off the clock and older servers who were pandering for that ten dollar tip. They ended up in an incubator of an office, Norma in the manager seat and Alex across from her in a cushy chair.

She reached up to grab the items out of the medicine cabinet and he immediately got a whiff of her intoxicating scent. It was a mix of cheap booze and daisies. He was surprised at how well she wore it.

"So...cop huh?" she asked, grinning as she started to clean up the now drying blood that once coursed down his knuckles. She was careful not to hurt him with the peroxide, her little fingers dabbing ever so gently.

"Four years now, yeah. It's not always fun but it's nice to tell of dirtbags like that," he said, watching as she put some cold cream on the wound, it was a nice contrast to the swelling.

"Well, um...I really appreciate all of that, y'know. Not many people stand up for their bartenders. You were a regular old superman out there," she giggled as she pulled the white adhesives out.

"I hate to see men like him disrespecting woman like you. You're just trying to do your job and people like that make it thirty times harder. I sympathize. I don't know how you all do it. Being around people all day who can either suck or be great and loyal customers."

She nodded as she started to wrap his hand up, "Eh, you get used to it. You learn how to deal with people in this industry. I got good at shutting people off with drinks when I first started bartending. And I'm good at dealing with assholes who sit and complain about their drinks. I just don't let it affect me and think about the money."

"Makes the world go round."

She smiled again, looking into his eyes as she patted his hand. "You're all set. That's gonna hurt in the morning, so I'm gonna give you some of these," she said, pulling some of the aspirin from the medicine cabinet.

"I really appreciate it," he said, tucking the pills into his pocket. He made a mental note to take one that night and one in the morning.

"Yeah well...I really appreciate you taking care of that asshole."

"I uh- I want you to have someone walk you to your car tonight and um…" he fidgeted for a minute, taking a piece of paper and a pen from the desk beside him. He jotted down his number with shaky hands, feeling like a high schooler all over again, "Text me or call me when you get home safely. I don't want him to follow you or anything like that. If you have any worries I can always patrol for you tonight."

She took the number and held it deep in her palm, "Thank you so so much. I will absolutely call you. And um, thanks again for caring."

They left the office and she went back behind the bar. He asked for the bill and left her a higher tip then last time. $60. Norma couldn't believe it, she even argued that it was too much but he refused to take the cash back.

"Have a good night. Remember to call me."

The moment he stepped outside, the cool night air hitting his back, he felt lighter than he ever had before.

 **Man I don't know what's gotten into me tonight. The writing bug hit me and I couldn't stop. Hope you all enjoyed this long chapter! Sorry to keep you waiting. Adulting and working a 30 hour a week job is a lot. I'll probably be updating every Monday or Thursday if I can. I'm not going anywhere. Love you all xoxo - MJ**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

" _It's really good to hear your voice / Saying my name it sounds so sweet / Coming from the lips of an angel / Hearing those words it makes me weak / And I never wanna say goodbye / But, girl, you make it hard to be faithful / With the lips of an angel"_

Norma would never admit it to her co-workers but she had been anxiously awaiting to call her new superman. All of the girls rushed to her side once Alex had left the building, crooning about how handsome he was and talking about his muscles. One of the older women, Bethany, spoke of how she saw him around town on duty and how she couldn't get over those dark mysterious eyes. She brushed off their words like they were nothing, saying it wasn't a big deal. Internally, she knew it would be all over the restaurant by the next afternoon. _Norma, the cute bartender is hooking up with the handsome town deputy_. It wasn't accurate...well not yet. And she really didn't want her personal business spread like wildfire.

As it got deeper into the night, she finally finished all of her side work and had her cash drawer counted by Colleen. She was tapping her fingers on the desk as she waited for her to finish.

"Well, that deputy their sure was something to see, huh? Not too bad looking, Norma! Nice catch," she grinned, a five waving around in her hand boisterously as she spoke.

She sighed and shook her head, "No, no, Colleen. He's not my boyfriend and this was only the second time I've met him! He was just doing his job. It's his job to protect people from danger. He wasn't just gonna sit there and let that guy harass me."

Colleen scoffed as she handed her the generous tip out from the night. "Look, I'm just saying...he's handsome. You're gorgeous. You two would make some beautiful babies. Time's ticking. Get started now and you could have a lovely little family."

"You are absolutely out of your mind," she laughed at her absurd suggestion, "Dammit. All you ladies are the same. I feel like I'm a person who just got a cut while swimming in an ocean of sharks."

The two woman laughed and Colleen walked Norma out to her car, deputy's orders and all. As she was driving back to her apartment, she pulled out her phone and got his number all set out to dial. She locked the car door and rang Alex, on the second ring, he picked up.

"Hey, Norma. Make it home safely?"

She smiled at the sound of his voice, rough and gravely, as if he had just woken up from a deep slumber. It was incredibly sexy to say the least. Her body was leaning up against the wall of the elevator as she spoke, "Well, yeah I was able to call you right, must mean I'm all in one piece."

He rose up from the bed, his lips curving upwards as he heard her giggle. "That's good. Any more trouble at work tonight or was everything okay after I left?", in the back of his mind, Alex was scared that Keith would come back and start more trouble.

Norma had twisted the key to her apartment and was greeted with a friendly hello from the seat of her sofa. "Hey, just a sec," she called to the person in the distance. Alex immediately tensed up, hearing her muffled voice say something to someone else on the other end.

"Everything okay?"

She laughed again, digging $60 out of her purse as she had the phone perched to her ear. "Yes, deputy. Just talking to someone. I can promise you there's no danger here. And that slob stayed out of my bar, he didn't come back or anything. Think you scared him enough on the first knockout round."

Norma walked over to Angela and passed her the $60, she pressed the phone to her shoulder, "Thank you so much sweetheart. I think your dad's car is outside and the doorman is still on duty so you should be good to go. Have a wonderful night. I'll see you on Tuesday morning."

"Norma? Norma? Are you still there?" Alex's voice was booming on the other side of the phone, muffled by her body. She walked Angela out and got back on.

"Deputy, you're starting to scare me with your paranoia."

"Well, when I hear you get off the phone for a long period of time with no explanation, I just get scared. Guess that creep at the bar freaked me out a bit. Just wanna make sure he's not back," he explained, feeling nervous. He started to get those anxious butterflies again. Almost like a scared geek in high school.

"Yeah, yeah I understand. I really appreciate tonight again, Alex. I don't know what I would-"

Suddenly, she heard two little feet pitter pattering across the white tile of the spacious apartment, "Mama! Mama! Mama!"

Alex didn't have to ask for her this time, he heard it clear as day, a little voice calling Norma mama. His mind started to race with questions, he never saw a wedding ring on her finger, unless she was just dating the father? Maybe they weren't together at all? He felt something sink in his stomach, like he'd just lost his dream girl. The kid wasn't a deal breaker...another man was.

"Hello, sweetheart! I think you're supposed to be in bed," Norma said, her voice saturated by a sweet essence.

"Mama, I missed you!", the little girl squealed with excitement, holding her arms up to be held and coddled.

"I missed you too, baby. Go sit on the couch until I get off the phone and I'll tuck you in. You want a bottle before I put you back to bed?" she asked, already heading over to the kitchen.

"The Elsa bottle!" she demanded, her little arms crossing at the chest.

"What do we say when we want something, Maddie?"

"Pwease. The Elsa bottle pwease."

Norma nodded and got back on the phone to Alex, "I'm really sorry about that. Got a little sidetracked." She was nervous for him to find out she had a kid, but in this stage of the game, it was all about Madolyn. If men didn't like the fact that she had a three year old, that was their problem.

"No, no...it's okay. So uh- you have a child?" he asked, trying to sound open to the idea. Alex didn't wanna be one of those ignorant assholes that blew women off right when a kid got involved.

"I do."

"Well um…" he began, his palms sweating profusely at the question he was about to ask her, "Does that mean you won't be available sometime this week to grab dinner with me?"

She smiled a mile long at his question, letting herself get excited over the prospect of having someone. Being a mom took a toll on her well...sex life. She hadn't been intimate with a man since Brian. Maddie's father. Most of her life was work and her kid. Though she had to admit, it was easier now that her daughter wasn't a baby anymore. Now her father could have her for three days out of the week without making thirteen calls to Norma a day about how to change a diaper and what to do if a baby can't stop coughing.

"I'm free on Wednesday night. Maddie's with her dad then so...we should have time to grab dinner when I get off work," she offered, putting some of the sugarless apple juice in a bottle and shaking it up for her daughter.

"Phew, I'm happy you said yes or else I would've had to find a new bar with a scotch better than the one you serve me," he joked, lying back on the bed with a hand behind his head. His heart was thumping with joy and anticipation for Wednesday night.

"That's about three days away. Will I see you at the bar or will I have to wait until then?" she asked, the flirtation in her voice rising.

He let a small laugh escape his lips, "No. I'll come by tomorrow. Same time as tonight. And I want that glass of scotch ready for me," he joked.

"Keep up the demands and you'll see a loogie in your drink, Deputy."

Madolyn started bouncing up and down on the coach, awaiting for her mother to get off of the phone. Grown ups could be so boring sometimes. "Mommy!" she shouted playfully, hoping that she would give in.

"I um, I have to go tuck my daughter in. Mom duty and all. I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a smile, making her way over to her daughter and placing a hand on top of her long, loose, blonde curls.

"Yeah, I'll see you then...looking forward to it."

His heart skipped as he told her, he didn't want to come off as desperate or already attached.

"Me too, Alex. Goodnight."

Her sweet voice was the last thing he heard in his ear before hanging up and falling into the most blissful slumber imaginable. It'd been a long time since he'd slept that peacefully.

 **X**

"And then the kind rabbit learned his lesson. He knew life was short and friends were valuable. He never tried to steal carrots again and started helping his new companions find some. The end."

Norma looked at her daughter, lying on her back with her hands laced over her chest. Big doe eyes were looking all over the room until they darted at her, almost expecting more from the story.

"Mama another," she whined, turning on her side to give her the puppy dog face.

"Absolutely not, missy. You need to get your beauty rest," she grinned, getting up to place the storybook back on her nightstand. She'd been reading her one story a night from it since the beginning of the month. Her daughter knew it was only one before bedtime but it never stopped her from asking for more.

"But-"

"No buts, princess."

"Okay," she agreed begrudgingly, clutching onto her trusty barbie doll, Ana. Ever since she was two years old, it had to go with her everywhere she went.

Norma laid a kiss on her forehead and was about to turn on her small night light in the corner of the room when she was stopped. "Mama...who were you talking to?"

Her mother never wanted to have this conversation with her. Other men except her father shouldn't have been a priority. Madolyn was just too young to understand. She sat back down on the chair and took her small hand in her own, grazing over her fingers with her thumb.

"Well...it was a prince."

"Really?!" she asked, her little smile perked up as her body went electric, shaking on the bed excitedly at the prospect of fairy tales coming true.

"Mhm, he's a handsome prince who wants to take mommy out with him," she explained, hoping her daughter wouldn't want to go too into depth.

"Will I get to meet the prince, momma?"

"If everything goes well, angel. Then you will get to meet the prince."

"Well...I hope everything goes well!" she crooned, laying her head back on the pillow and smiling expectantly up at her mother.

"Me too, honey. Me too."

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know in the comments :) xoxo - MJ**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

 _"Something 'bout you / Makes me feel like a dangerous woman / Something 'bout, something 'bout you / Makes me wanna do things that I shouldn't / Something 'bout, something 'bout you / All girls wanna be like that / Bad girls underneath like that / You know how I'm feeling inside_

Being at work the next day, shaking the same drinks, and facing her regulars didn't feel the same. She knew it was all because of Alex. He was different from all the guys that had come to grace this bar before. Most of them just commented on her ass and asked her to come over after work. She could recall a few years back when her daughter was still a newborn and her house was a mess of diapers and formula containers. A guy came to the bar and asked if they could go back to her place for a drink, maybe get to know each other a little better. When he finished the offer with a wink, she could have laughed in his face. He had no idea what was really happening. Her body was a sore mess from childbirth, the walls of her apartment were filled with the sounds of Maddie's colic, and her ex was sleeping on the couch. It was all a facade that she put on behind the bar. But Alex made her feel sexy in a different way, he wasn't obvious and forthcoming about it. She knew he would stare when she was working...but he was a gentleman about it.

While she cut up limes for the day and thought about the prospect of Wednesday night, Mariah came up to her and rested on the cold silver of the service bar. She was 18, an amazing host, and loved Norma with a passion. Her own mother never gave her much of anything, no support, no maternal vibes, it was all an empty relationship. She was happy to give her that love, even if they weren't blood related.

"Hey there, sunshine. How's school been?" she asked, smiling and moving her bucket of fruit to be closer with her.

"Eh- lots of work, late nights with these stupid essays. My mom is being a total bitch about it. She says we need to unplug the router for our wifi at 12 am. She said she shouldn't have to pay for extra internet that she's not using," her large brown eyes rolled as she picked at the maraschino cherries.

"Well, if you're up to it...you could always come and spend the night at my place to do your work. Nothing wrong with adding a third female to the mix. Though you might be woken up by a toddler staring at you while singing Moana."

"Thanks, Norma. You know I love Madd, I'll probably start singing with her. Who doesn't like Moana?"

Norma nodded with a knowing look, "Y'know I said the same thing as you. And then as we were watching it the fifteenth time, I had a fantasy of banging my head against the wall."

The teen laughed and took a seat at the hightop stool, "Wow...that is bleak. But, in other news...I hear there's a stud in your life now. Colleen told me all about it while I was shining the wood today," she stopped to stifle an immature giggle, "Supposedly, sounds as though you were hoping to shine a little wood yourself."

She sighed and put her fruit away, "Look...there is no...wood shining? As you so charmingly put it? We just...he- depu- Alex. Alex...we met here and he's becoming a regular. This creep was harassing me, he's a cop so he wailed on him a bit to shut him up."

"Sounds spicy to me. So what have you been doing about it? Are you guys doing it? Or is it just like...second base stuff?" she asked, her voice lowering. Norma was in awe, this girl was only a teenager, what did she know about sex? Or relationships for that matter?

"Do you even know what second base consists of?" she asked, snorting at her overtly sexual prowess.

She hissed in a bit of breath, "Hmm...while that's a good question. Mixed reviews my friend...see it's either above the belt. Like feeling each other up? Or some people say it's minor below the belt action. Like-"

"Yeah. Yep, been there done that honey. I was a teenager once."

"Okay, so what are you doing to reel this guy in?"

"What do you mean? He found out last night that I was a mom. A single mom. And he still wanted to take me out and even come see me tonight. It's been a while since any guy looked at me like that," she said, daydreaming about her new find while washing some 22 ounces.

"So, how long are we talking here?"

"God...I don't know, shouldn't you be up front doodling unicorns or maybe opening the door for guests?"

"Okay, one we don't open for another half an hour, and two my handwriting is chicken scratch. C'mon, it can't be that bad...how long has it been since someone has laid the pipe?" she asked, like it was something casual.

Norma fumbled with her beer glass, her eyes blown open in shock, "What did you just say?" she asked, with a laugh in her voice. She'd never heard Mariah speak like this before. Maybe she was a lowkey sex conousiour.

"I said- When. Was. The. Last. Time. That. Someone. Laid-"

"I heard you, I heard you...um maybe...I haven't since Chris, Maddie's dad. So about two and a half years," she said, biting her lip and looking up at the hostess sheepishly.

"Oh my god, Norma. You can't be serious?! Two and a half years? Me and my boyfriend can't go two hours without getting frisky. How do you survive?" she asked, standing up and moving to face her.

"Well, when you become a mom and have a full time job, it all falls to the wayside. I don't really think about it that much anymore," she shrugged, though it was a small lie. She would get an occasional text from her ex. He would always make it seem so dirty:

 _"Hey gorgeous. I'm dropping Madd off around 3 today...it's right before her naptime. Maybe when you put her down, we could get a little reacquainted ;)"_

Norma was never tempted by Chris though. He cheated on her when she was eight months along with his child. His grand reasoning being that she wouldn't put out for him anymore. She kicked him out and only allowed him to stay for a few months after Maddie was born. Lord knows she needed the help. He still had feelings for her, but she knew once she put the old away, she never attempted to seek it again.

"Norma, we need to get the fire burning and fast. Do you want this guy to think of you as a single mom or a total sex pot? Be honest," she said, taking Norma's phone off of the bar.

She sighed, "A total sexpot."

"Righty-o. So, do you have Snapchat?" she asked, sliding her phone to the homescreen.

"Yeah. I only use it for you and some of the other waitresses here. I never actually post anything to my story. Why? What does that have to do with anything?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and observing her teenage fingers go through everything so fast.

"Well, the way I nailed my boyfriend was some dirty pics," she said, going to the Snapchat app and trying to link some of her contacts. "Is he under the name Alex?"

"Yeah- but Mariah, I am not sending him nudes. Nor do I think he even has a Snapchat. He is an older, mature-"

"JustADeputy. You're all added and good to go. Once you see the pending thing gone, it means he'd added you. So, just slip into your good lingerie and get in front of a mirror. Send him the pic and if he chats you, screenshots you, or sends you a dick pic. It means you've created a nice pair of blue balls. The sex with be mind blowing. Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"I really don't think I can-"

"Listen! You have a smoking bod. Everyone here knows it. Those curves are some to kill for. Some of the twenty year old servers here are jealous of what you got going on. You wanna make this guy see you in that same light? Take a few pics and send them off to him tonight. He'll be ready to explode by the time you two go out for dinner. Plus, if he's not a pig or forceful when he comes on to you, you'll know he's different. When I send some pics to my boyfriend and we hung out for the first time, he didn't try anything at all besides holding my hand. I knew he was perfect right in that moment. I'm telling you this from experience, Norma. You've momed me, and now I'm moming you. Go get him."

 **Short chapter, I know. But it's something so ya'll don't think I abandoned this story. I'm liking where I am planning to take this, so stay tuned. It'll go on for awhile, I promise. Anyway, I'll have something new up for the next chapter within the next two weeks. Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think! Xoxo - MJ**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

 _Am I out of my head? / Am I out of my mind? / If you only knew the bad things I like / Don't think I can explain it / What can I say, it's complicated / No matter what you say / No matter what you do / I only wanna do bad things to you / So good, that you can't explain it / What can I say it's complicated_

" _So...I see you've found my Snapchat?"_

The text sat there, lingering for over thirty minutes and Norma had not responded. She was nervous. There were so many things going through her mind. She didn't want to show her body to Alex because what if he didn't like what he saw? When her and Chris had sex after their daughter was born, he asked her if she wanted to start coming to the gym with her, to "work off some of the baby weight". Needless to say, she never did it with him without a bra and tank top on ever again. She just got used to it after a while, thinking it was how mom's had sex. It was less of a hassle honestly.

Norma also saw where Mariah was coming from. Alex was an attractive man. He had definitely seen his share of naked girls...probably more appealing than her. She was battling with her thoughts at the edge of the bed for a while until her daughter came into her room. She was grateful, at lease it would take her mind off of her sex life and her body.

"Mommy, I'm tired," she yawned, gripping the long plastic arm of her barbie as she looked up at her with the big doe eyes. One of the things Norma was most proud of was the fact that her daughter inherited her beautiful blue orbs. Much better than her father's plain brown eyes.

"Okay, darlin. You want me to tuck you in?"

She nodded and Norma went to pick her up, hoisting her on a hip. These were the things she would miss as Maddie got older. Being able to hold her was an amazing feeling...it was like nothing bad could ever touch her and no one bad would ever be able to snatch her. She snuggled her head on the walk to her room.

"I love you, baby girl. You know that right?" she asked, holding her even closer.

"Mama I love you more! You're my best fwend," she murmured, tucking her head into her mother's neck.

She smiled and sat on the rocking chair with her daughter, picking up a book and kissing the crown of her head. She remembered when she found out she was pregnant, so frightened and vulnerable. Norma never thought anything good would come out of it until the nurse handed her Maddie for the first time. It was like her heart burst with a new kind of love, not like the feeling you get when you get your first apartment or when you finally hook up with the guy you've been lusting after for months...real love.

 **X**

 _The night was cold. And the heavy speckles of rain were a nuisance to her thought process as they hit the seemingly metal concrete. She was holding the white stick in one hand and chewing the nails on her other. Chris was her fuck buddie if anything at all. They hadn't even made it official. It wasn't like she could put a label on it, things would just feel forced...uncomfortable. Sitting there was even an uncomfortable feeling. It was like she didn't own her body anymore, but instead it was a newly furnished space for two. All of the "what if's" were flooding her mind. What if I said no that one time he forgot to bring a condom? What if I said yes to being humiliated and buying the Plan B pill? What if we never slept together at all? What if I get fired? What if this is all a false alarm? What if my period was just invisible this month? What if all the vomiting was just...a stomach flu?_ _ **Why, why, why did I allow him to "just pull out"?**_

 _Her racing mind was halted with a knock on her door. She rose from the couch and let him in, looking at the expression on his face, she could immediately tell breaking the news wasn't going to be easy. He already looked annoyed._

" _Norma? I understand that you needed to talk to me but why did you make it sound so urganet on the phone, if you wanna do it so bad just come over and tell me. I can get you off in five minutes or less," he grinned, leaning in to kiss her neck, his teeth on a mission to leave her a large hickey. "Lemme take you away, baby," he whispered, normally that would make her melt, but now there were bigger fish to fry._

" _Stop. Chris...I...it's- it's not about sex. This-that isn't why I called you over here tonight," she said, her eyes immediately growing watery. She wished it could be a simple sexual encounter but this was something else, something life changing. Nothing felt like it would ever be the same again._

" _Well why am I here then?" he asked, pulling away from her, "Oh shit...are you on the rag? You're not gonna try to get all kissy and cuddly are you?"_

 _Her lip started to tremble and she openly sobbed, he wasn't making this any better. She felt so empty but so tugged down at the same time. It was like she was falling into air, light as a feather and dying for someone to catch her, hug her, tell her everything was going to be okay. Her head sat in her hands as she wailed. This was really going to be the father of her child?_

 _Chris sighed and put a hand to her back, rubbing small circles, "Jesus, Norma. Lighten up, okay? I was kidding. If you wanna relax and maybe-"_

" _I'm pregnant," she admitted in a broken panic through her worried sobs. His hand immediately stopped the motions on her body, he pulled away completely. Through her red puffy eyes, she could see the look on his face, it was like someone just shot his whole family dead. Disgust, anger...maybe some surprise?_

 _He breathed in heavily through his nose, "You're just fooling me, right? This has to be a joke...it's not funny so, you can just tell me you're-"_

 _He stopped talking the second she whipped out the test and dropped it on his lap. Sometimes things in life were hard to see. But nothing is more honest and unmistakable then those two pink lines. Chris stood from the couch and tossed the stick aside. "This can't be right, Norma. This has to be a false one. There is no way that you could be pregnant and besides how do we even know-"_

 _She stopped him dead in his tracks. Her eyes tore into him with a fiery anger, "How_ ** _DARE_** _you! You know damn well that we weren't safe. We had sex like, four times a week. You really think I was seeing other guys in the six months we've been fucking? I'm not just some_ ** _SLUT_** _! And besides do you really think I'd let more than one ignorant, giant, lame, asshole bust inside of me?!" she stood and shoved him, the fumes firing off her body were electric. This is what hormones were like. It was like her feelings were at war with herself._

 _He stepped away from her, "Don't fucking yell at me! You were apart of it too? Shouldn't you have taken some initiative and gone on the pill? Or maybe you could've been more adamant about me using a fucking condom!"_

 _Chris paced around the room as he tried to calm down, he sat on the edge of her coffee table with his fingers massaging sore temples, "Okay. Here's what we're gonna do. I'm going to stay here tonight and you can take a few more tests just to make absolutely sure that this isn't some cruel joke that the universe is playing. Then if they are all positive, we are going to the clinic tomorrow to get rid of it. I'll take the day off work and you can call out of your bar shift. We'll just...wipe it away. We can just pretend that this was never even a conversation. Maybe they can just give you one of those pills and it'll be gone."_

 _She was disgusted. Her whole body twisted in horror as he described the plans. There was no way in hell that she could do that. Norma had always said that if it happened, she would never kill it. She would do her best. It wasn't like she was getting any younger either, "I think you should go now. And you can lose my number too, don't bother coming back here."_

" _What the fuck, Norma? You really think you're just gonna have this baby and raise it on your own. I don't want this. I'm- I can't be committed to you or a kid right now," he said, his voice drenched with hatred towards her and their unborn baby._

" _So...if I had a miscarriage tomorrow you'd be happy?" she asked, standing from the couch and heading to the front door._

" _Well, I wouldn't be in this position so, I guess I'd be pretty fucking grateful."_

" _Leave," she said, holding the door to her apartment open. Her heart was ripping in one million pieces as she did so. She knew he wouldn't be happy but she never thought he'd turn into satan. The father of her first child. The shitty, irresponsible father of her first child. The father of her first child who wanted to abort him or her and hoped for a miscarriage. She couldn't do that to her baby._

" _Fine, you know what? Fuck you, Norma. I hope you have one hell of a time being a shitty single mom."_

 _And he left for a good four months. After that, she received dozens of emails, Facebook messages, cards, and even flowers. He was sorry. He wanted to know how things were going. He wanted to know if he would have a son or daughter. He asked for name ideas. She let him in the delivery room and he cried when she first came out, the doctor's voice announcing a big congratulations and that it was indeed a girl. They were never romantically claimed, oh no. Norma would never let him back in like that. But he was a good father. He took care of Maddie, called her his sunshine, and gave her piggy back rides. It was all she could ask for. He even got an apartment down the street from her so he could be closer to their daughter. He got a crib for his place and asked to FaceTime with her just so he could watch her sleep as an infant. Yeah, he was a good father. But a shitty mate._

 **X**

"Mummy!" she yelled, breaking her from her revivere. Her tiny little fingers tapping on the page of the book, "What happened to the monswer?"

"And the monster threw a big Halloween party for all his friends. They drank blood orange punch and did the mash until bedtime. It was the best fun they had ever had. The end," she said, closing the book.

"Mama, what were you thinking about?" she asked, blue looking into blue. She loved the innocence her daughter still held. She picked her up and carried her to bed, tucking her in and resting her arms on the side.

"When you were a baby," she answered honestly, a dreamy smile on her face.

"Was I cute?" she asked, with a hopeful grin that her mother couldn't help but chuckle at.

"You were a beautiful baby," she answered, her fingers lacing into her blonde locks. It was true, all the nurses said that Madolyn was the most beautiful baby in the maternity ward. Her bald head, big blue eyes, and pretty pink lips. Norma knew her daughter was gonna grow up to be a heartbreaker. "And now...you're my beautiful big girl."

"Your beautiful too, mama," she said, holding her mother's hand, a big yawn stretching across her lips.

In that moment, Norma's heart swelled with such a grand amount of love for the little life she'd brought into the world, growing into a toddler before her very eyes. "I love you, Maddie. You're such a good girl," she said, leaning in to kiss her cheek and rise from the bed towards the door. "Good night, munchkin. Don't let the bed bugs bite."

 **X**

As Norma reached her room, she was met with that same piece of lingerie that was sitting on her bed earlier. It was a black lace bodysuit. She'd only ever wore it for Chris and he'd made her feel so cheap about it. She shut her door, making sure her daughter was sound asleep. Mariah's world were still replaying in her mind. Why couldn't she be both a mom and a sex pot? Alex already knew about Maddie and he still wanted to go out with her, obviously he was still attracted to her. But maybe it would be fun to tease him a little, give him a sneak peek. She knew it'd be sexy to sit across a table from him on Wednesday, his mind filled with the pictures of her...her lust coming to a blissful peak.

She peeled her clothes off from the day and slipped into the little number. She still looked good despite have a set of child bearing hips and once nursed breasts. She had to give it to herself, her curves were there and in full force, the push up area was doing her some favors, and her makeup from the day still looked pretty good.

Norma poised in front of the full length mirror, knees on the floor as she gave a sensual look. She sent it directly to him with a caption.

 _I guess I played the sleuth there, Deputy. I tracked down your screen name but have no fear...I come bearing gifts._

She didn't put the kissy face even though she was tempted. But within seconds he responded, no picture, just on chat. She was a little please with it all because she would have thought less of him had he send her a picture of his dick. Teasing was one thing but putting the real thing out there was just too promiscuous. Her heart raced as she opened the message from him, her stomach imploded with butterflies as she read his message.

 **JUSTADEPUTY**

| Wow. You look stunning. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it but when I first saw you I thought you were gorgeous. I still can't believe you said yes to a date with a guy like me when you're over there looking like that.

 **NORMALOUISE79**

| Aw. Aren't you sweet? Such kind words xo. And don't put yourself down! You have quite a way with words. I was swooning when you knocked that dirtbag out for me.

 **JUSTADEPUTY**

| He deserved it. Shame to think a piece of shit like him thought he deserved something as stellar as you. Even when I was with Rebecca that first night...you took my breath away. Oh god look at me sounding all types of corny. I had a few glasses of scotch tonight but you weren't there :(

 **NORMALOUISE79**

| Be careful with what you say, Deputy. I might just actually start to like you LOL. Yeah, I took tonight off to spend some time with Maddie. I haven't got to see her as much because I always have the babysitter around. I missed her.

 **JUSTADEPUTY**

| You sound like a great mother. I don't have any of my own but I could understand that. How old is she?

 **NORMALOUISE79**

| Thank you :) She's three years old, turning four in March. The time really flew by. Can't believe how big she's getting.

 **JUSTADEPUTY**

| That's sweet(: Hope someday I get to have some of my own. I don't wanna get to deep with you LOL. It's getting late, I gotta get up early. But I'll swing by the bar after work. Will you be working or am I stuck with the same wrinkle bag I had tonight? Hahaha.

 **NORMALOUISE79**

| I just legitimately laughed out loud. That's Sheila. She's been a bartender for 20 years now. A fiesty old thing. Not many of us like her because she's bitter about the way things changed at Cohan's since the old owner left. I'll be there to put you out of your misery, don't you worry(: But, if your gonna fall asleep on me, at least let me leave you with something good.

She rose from the bed and got in front of the mirror again, using a different pose with a sharp view of her cleavage, her legs tucked neatly under her. She sent it to him with a new caption.

 _Nighty night, Deputy Romero ;)_

Alex sat in his bed with the biggest hard on he'd had in a long time. He stared at the image as he relieved himself, it only took him one minute and thirty seconds to get off to her. He imagined what it'd be like to touch her, taste her, kiss her soft looking lips. She was perfect. He'd never wanted a woman like this before. He'd never felt this blessed before about a woman saying yes to going to dinner with him. He went back to the chat screen after he tucked himself back into his pajama bottoms and cleaned up his sheets with a Kleenex. Worry hit him as he thought she would be suspicious as to why his response took so long. Then again, what else would he be doing with picture like that? It was a hell of a lot better than what PornHub had to offer on a night like this. But he'd never tell her, he respected her way too much and Alex Romero always strived to be a gentleman.

 **JUSTADEPUTY**

| Goodnight, beautiful. I'll see you tomorrow ;)

Norma's heart sped up so fast she could feel it beating out of her chest. She guessed the pictures weren't such a bad idea after all. She was so flattered and felt so sexy in that moment it was like nothing could touch her. She laid her head down on the pillow, adrenaline still rushing through her veins with the prospect of seeing Alex tomorrow. It was bound to be a good shift.

 **Sorry about the wait guys. And I'm sorry the last chapter was so short. I tried to keep the chat as much like SnapChat as I could. Let me know how I did! I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far because I am. I have some good inspiration for the next chapter so please stay tuned. Love you all so, so much. Blessed to have some of you who were there from the beginning. Thank you guys so much! Xoxo - MJ**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

 _I think you're smart, you sweet thing / Tell me your name / I'm dying here / Oh, got you where I want you / Oh, got you where I want you / Hey, maybe just a smile / Oh hey, did you know that I can dance? / Could we talk for a while?_

"Okay!" Norma chirped as she gave Chris a pink fairy tote filled with things Maddie needed for the three days he spent with her. Typically it consisted of her princess wand, her storybook for bedtime, Ana, and her precious zebra print security blanket. As much as her mother wanted to wean her off of the idea of having a "blankie" for comfort, it was kind of adorable to watch her drag it around on every childhood adventure.

"Mummy, I'm gonna miss you," her daughter frowned, her arms up so her mother could hold her. Norma reached down with a loving groan to take Maddie from the floor and placed a huge kiss on her cheek.

"You'll see me in a few days. But you and daddy are gonna have so much fun together! You'll watch some movies, play with your dolls, and if you behave maybe you'll get to have your favorite Mommydillas for dinner," she grinned gently rocking her toddler, wishing she was still small.

"Yeah about that," Chris piped up, "Madds keeps asking for a Mommydilla and I have no idea what it is or how to um...make it?"

She nodded, "It's essentially a cheese quesadilla with sour cream and guacamole on the side. She'll never say no to it so...if she's being picky, just whip her one up you should be good. Add a little garlic powder to the cheese before it melts. And you have to cut it into little tiny pieces or else she won't eat it."

"Wow. Got it," he smiled, looking at his daughter, "Honey, why don't you make sure you have everything for the next couple of days, okay? I wanna talk to mommy."

Internally, Norma sighed and rolled her eyes. He always did this. Once every couple of times Chris would come by to get Maddie, he would try to hit on her. And every time it was the same answer...a clear no.

"So, my mom and dad would really like to see Maddie within the next month. They said they want an overnight or something. I was thinking maybe we could go out to dinner...maybe have some candlelight...talk about our daughter...have an overnight of our own," he grinned sheepishly, trying to lock eyes and connect with her all over again.

"I'll have to pass, Chris," she said, her eyes cold towards him.

"Alright, beautiful...who is he? You gotta be seein' someone all this time. Wouldn't be blowing me off all this time if it wasn't for another guy. Plus Madd's was saying something about mommy and a prince? So, c'mon...tell me," he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"I owe you no explanation."

He scoffed, "We're co-parenting a child together. I spent 15 hours in a delivery room with you, holding your hand. I was up with you at 3 am doing feedings and changes for months before you kicked me out. What else do you need? I just...I wanna try to be with my kid's mother."

She nodded tightly, "Your her father. That's enough of a connection. You're a wonderful father...someday you'll make someone a good partner. Our time is over, okay?"

"Whatever," he said, his tone angier than before, mad about being let down, "You think he'll stay when he sees you have a kid? Trust me...relationships don't last when you show them how much you love the kid. They think their on the backburner. Maddie comes first...he'll see that and get pissed off, I won't. She's mine, I love her more than anything. I know you feel the same. C'mon Norma...one date, let me show you."

She looked behind her, "Maddie, baby, come on...daddy's gonna take you now." The moment her mother spoke, she hopped to her side and hugged her leg. Norma picked her up and kissed her cheek twice. "I love you so, so, so much. Your gonna have a good time, mama will come get you in a few days."

"Love you mummy!" she squealed excitedly, put down by her mother, Maddie raced to her father's side and grasped his hand, tugging lightly. "Ready daddy?"

Though he was extremely angry at her mother in the moment, his daughter's soft blue eyes melted him. "Yeah, sunshine. Let's go!"

Norma shut the door behind them, refusing to look into Chris' eyes. She was happy the interaction was over. She headed into her bathroom and prepped for the hours to come. She knew she had to look amazing for when she was Alex at work tonight. After all, she sent him the closest things to nude pictures that she could get. She wanted to advertise well full clothed, too. As she set her hair curler and makeup on the counter, she braced herself for some long overdue pampering.

 **X**

As Theresa Romero set up the coffee machine to fix her son another pot, she decided to ask about women. There was a glint in her son's eye that could only be caused by some magical, beautiful woman. She hadn't seen her son look that sated or happy in a long while, the force did put a lot of weight on his shoulders after all. While she poured him another cup and added the sugar, she finally looked at him head on.

"Alexander, who is she?" she asked, a knowing smile gracing her thin lips.

He sighed and looked up from the mug with his eye rolling, "Mama-" he began, the thick Spanish flare he put on her nickname coming out with it.

"Don't mama me, Alex. I know there's someone. You come to my house with that dreamy glint in your eye. She must be pretty special," she poked, taking a sip of her green tea and sitting on the stool across from him. "Is it that Rebecca? She's such a sweet woman."

 _If only she knew_. "No, mama...I'm actually not seeing Rebecca anymore. We just...it didn't work out." He never wanted to give her too much information, didn't want her to worry. She'd already been through so much in her long life.

"Jeez Alexander, when are you gonna settle down with a girl? Time's ticking on my grandchildren," her sweet smile broke as she added more sugar to her herbal drink. He was always mad at himself for not finding someone earlier in life and starting a family. He knew it was his mother's dream to see him walk down the aisle with a girl and watch him reproduce.

"I was really hopeful about Rebecca. But Son, if someone else is making you happy then that's all that matters. I want to know everything. What's her name?"

"Well, there's not much to say yet, mom. We haven't been on a real date yet. She's a bartender at that remodeled place across from the insurance agency. She's beautiful. She uh- has a kid. I believe she's four or five. So...if it does work out, you might get lucky with a grandchild. But I don't wanna hurry anything, you know?" he said, his palms sweaty as he spoke.

"No...no Alex. Can't you see? She's already been used. Don't you think she'll always have that connection with her child's father? No matter how close you get to this woman, you can never beat that bond. Even if you had your own children together...there would always be another man who was in that same position. She's a bartender too? Rebecca worked at a bank...a head manager. You need a girl with a real profession, a degree, Alexander."

Her words were like sharp knives pointed right at him. He could never compromise her check marks for his heart. Attraction was attraction. Love was love. The heart knows no race, no social class, no size after all. He liked what he liked and that was it.

"You haven't even met her. I haven't even taken her on a proper date yet. The train has started moving but nothing is really set in motion yet, mama. You raised me to be smart in my decisions...trust me on this one."

"I'll give you my very hesitant blessing, Alexander. Just...make the right choices."

With that, he was out the door and headed to the bar to see Norma. He'd been awaiting to see her all day.

 **X**

Once Norma arrived at work that night, she was greeted with a lovely, large bouquet of fresh white roses. They were placed on the side of the bar. One of her co-workers told her they arrived that morning and that they came from a mystery man. She knew who it was and she was flattered. The note was even sweeter. She was almost happy that he didn't sign his name...no one needed to know her personal business.

 _Hey Gorgeous,_

 _These are all yours! I hope you like white roses._

 _I'll see you later. Hope you have a wonderful_

 _beginning of your shift. Bet I'll make it better though ;)_

She blushed for at least an hour after receiving them. Her heart was encased in the same light as a teenage girl. All of the girls kept asking about the roses but she pushed the questions off while stocking the bar for the night to come. When he did show up, he looked dapper. Better than before. No uniform...a pair of dark wash jeans and a nicely pressed flannel. One look and she was instantly overtaken.

"Well hey there. I see you got the roses," he said with a large grin, sitting at the bar and looking her up and down. They were practically undressing each other with their eyes. He knew what she looked like under there and it was the biggest turn on ever.

"Yeah, looks like it. You should find the guy that gave them to me and arrest him. Looks like you have some hefty competition, big shot," she returned his smile and leaned over the bar, her cheeks were blushing like they did before. Her skin felt hot and sensitive all over, like she was ready for him to just touch her already.

"I'm happy you like 'em," he said under his breath, they were kissing level close but they were in public. At her job. They couldn't get into it there. He could've used a cold shower in that moment.

She walked back into the kitchen and came out less than a minute later. "Tell you what...I want you to come and meet me in the bathroom in two minutes," she groaned, looking around making sure her bar was still empty.

He couldn't believe what was happening, it was like time stopped. It was quick, yeah...but if she was ready then, he would never deny her. He followed her right into the bathroom, making sure no one was watching them go. He thanked his lucky stars that it was a one person bathroom and not stalls.

She yanked him by the arm and locked the door behind them, her body immediately launched his way, her lips all over his. He let his hands explore her outstanding curvuture and round behind.

"You're so fucking hot," he whispered against her lips as they kissed. Her lips were magnetic, he knew those would be addiction.

"Yeah? You like that?" she asked as she sank down to her knees and undid his belt. Her fingers were hurried...needy. As if her mouth was craving his cock. He looked up to the ceiling and let out a moan as her hand made contact with him.

"Shit…" he groaned, as she started to stroke him slowly. She spit on her palm and went faster as the wet sound increased.

"Oh deputy. I've never seen such a big dick before. How will I ever fit it in my mouth?" she moaned, her voice like a sultry sex kitten. He couldn't get enough of it. His eyes were transfixed on her as she let his length slide into the wet, soft, cavern of her mouth.

Her lips started working over his dick in the most glorious fashion, sucking the tip as hard as possible and slipping her tongue upwards, not missing one inch in the process. His hands gripped her hair as he groaned, "Fuck baby...feels so good."

She looked up at him and started to grip the base with her hand, focusing her tongue towards the tip. Her hands went to his hips, grasping hard and fucking him with her mouth, she moaned as he started to move with her.

"That's right," she moaned, pausing to jerk him off before continuing, "I want to feel your cock bump the back of my throat."

"Oh my god...you're destroying me," his groans were officially her new favorite thing. She leaned back in and sucked with more force, awaiting his finish. He didn't last long at all. He let himself overflow past her luscious lips as he finished with one final groan of her name. Triumphant and glorious as it exited his mouth. He was in awe of this woman and her will to just...blow him. He wanted to badly to taste her in return. But she rose from her knees and wiped her mouth, she placed one last long kiss on his lips as she tucked him back into his jeans.

"Okay. Playtime is over. We can pick this up later. I just...I couldn't wait to fuck you with my mouth," she winked, leaving the bathroom and strutting her hips as she walked. He was amazed. And it was good too...probably the best oral he'd ever received from a girl.

Alex straightened himself out and followed her back to the bar. It was gonna be a fun night.

 **Yes that was an abrupt end. I'm sure no one saw that coming (literally). But please remember, Norma hasn't been with anyone in three years and Alex is incredibly attracted to her. It's realistic if you put it all into perspective. I promise the story will grow over time. Give me a little bit longer to play with these characters and I promise you guys will be happy with the outcome. As for the smut, I haven't written it in so long that I'm rusty so...let me know how I did. The characters are a little different than the show but that's what makes it an AU. Also, I really want you all to picture them younger than they are in Bates Motel. Think late 20's, early 30's. I promise an update will be here within the next three weeks. I already have some ideas! Thanks for reading and being patient with me - MJ :)**


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